Engaging girls in education in Nepal
In this month’s update, we’re hearing from Nitin, a fellow VSO volunteer from Nepal. Nitin works with girls in rural communities who are in danger of dropping out of school and entering early marriage.
January's featured volunteer
Namaste! My name is Raj Karki. I’m volunteering as a Diffusion Advisor on VSO’s Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response project in Nepal. I’m looking forward to keeping you up to date with how we’re getting on and how your support is making a lasting difference to the lives of women and girls here.
I’m delighted to be volunteering with VSO and to have the opportunity to share my experiences with you all. I’ve been in my role of Diffusion Advisor for just over a year, which has given me loads of opportunities to learn and grow, as well as use the knowledge I’ve gained over the years. Thank you for standing with me and helping to make a positive impact in my home country.
It is unacceptable that more than one in four women in Nepal experience gender-based violence in their lifetime. With your support, my colleagues and I are leading a range of prevention activities to stop violence against women and girls here. We’re doing this by running interactive sessions with couples, families, community groups and leaders to challenge social norms that value men and boys over women and girls. Working alongside other organisations, we’re part of an incredible movement to create long-lasting change.
January '24 volunteer update
Suraj Shakya
I'm Nitin - a VSO educational expert working here in Nepal. Raj Karki is my colleague - and friend - here in VSO's Kathmandu office. I'm delighted to share with you how your regular gifts are helping girls build brighter futures by getting the education they deserve.
In rural areas of my country, girls from poor families are forced to leave school early without completing their education. Families in these areas don’t have a stable income, meaning the cost of school resources such as uniforms, pens and notebooks is too high. In these areas, girls’ education often isn’t valued, so many families will keep their daughters out of school to reduce the financial burden.
The next step for many of these girls, is early marriage.
Despite laws to protect them, 33% of Nepali girls are married before their 18th birthday and 8% are married before the age of 15.1 It’s not their choice. It’s not right.
Girls who are bright, ambitious and eager to learn are trapped in early marriages and are more vulnerable to the danger of gender-based violence and discrimination. Once trapped in marriage, many are forced to stay at home to shoulder the workload of household chores or denied rest. Unfortunately, in some rare and more extreme cases, some girls have told me they’ve been forced to practice chaupadi (an outlawed tradition where women and girls are banned from their homes while on their periods).
Suraj Shakya
In my work in Nepal, we have a goal to create change for a whole generation of girls. As a volunteer, I help girls who have dropped out of education early get back into school. A large part of my role is training Big Sisters - these are older girls in the community who have successfully completed their education.
My expertise lies in inclusive education and gender-based violence prevention, so I train Big Sisters in these areas. Once fully trained, I match them with younger out-of-school girls so they can mentor them and ensure they stay in school and learn. We also pass this knowledge onto families of out-of-school girls to teach them about the dangers of child marriage, and the value of giving their daughters access to education.
The power of people is amazing, and volunteering for VSO makes me realise how important our network of changemakers is.
I'd like to thank Raj for giving me the opportunity to get in touch with you this month. I've really enjoyed giving you an insight into the incredible work going on around Nepal. You'll hear from Raj again next month but please feel free to say hello or ask a question about the project below.
Best wishes,
Nitin
VSO volunteer, Nepal
Footnotes
Want to ask a question?
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Your latest questions answered
Thanks so much for your letters and news and your stay seems to have flown by. How was it for you? It is good to know that VSO Volunteers are continuing to do such great work as well as broadening their own experience. Good luck with your next steps.
Raj
Hello Tony,
Thank you for reading through the posts and supporting VSO.
I am so glad that you will continue your support to VSO in the future too.
Good luck with your travel to USA and connecting with your children and grandchildren.
Raj.
Thank you for reading through the posts and supporting VSO.
I am so glad that you will continue your support to VSO in the future too.
Good luck with your travel to USA and connecting with your children and grandchildren.
Raj.
Thank you so much for the update. Good luck for your next project. Welcome my new representative. Warm regards
Raj
Hello Etonam,
Thank you for reading the post and supporting the VSO as always.
Raj
Thank you for reading the post and supporting the VSO as always.
Raj
It’s great to hear and note the great work that you are involved in! Your efforts and dedication are truly appreciated. I’m glad that my small contribution is helping to uplift disadvantaged people in your community and region.? Keep up the good work!
Raj
Hello Gilbert,
I hope you are doing well. Thank you for supporting VSO in it’s mission to reach out to marginalized and disadvantaged communities throughout the world. Your small contribution is definitely making great change in the life of people.
Thank you,
Raj
I hope you are doing well. Thank you for supporting VSO in it’s mission to reach out to marginalized and disadvantaged communities throughout the world. Your small contribution is definitely making great change in the life of people.
Thank you,
Raj
Did you know?
We bring about lasting change not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers to empower communities in some of the world’s poorest regions. You can read more about VSO’s areas of work and discover more about our projects here.
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